Here's this week's State Capitol Roundup courtesy of state Rep. Bob Mensch, R-147:

Lawmakers' Questions to Budget Secretary Left Unanswered

Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee were frustrated Wednesday by the lack of straight answers from Budget Secretary Mary Soderberg during the last of the committee's budget hearings. The lawmakers raised numerous concerns about the governor's $29 billion spending plan, the projected $5 billion budget deficit (this year and next) and the heavy reliance on federal stimulus money and other one-time revenue sources that, if used improperly, could result in bigger budget holes when the funds disappear. The effort to shed light on the future problems this budget proposal will cause for taxpayers were cut short when Democrat Appropriations Committee Chairman Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) ended the hearing and refused to allow some lawmakers to ask even one question.

Rendell Should Follow His Own Advice on Stimulus Spending

House Republican Leader Sam Smith (R-Jefferson/Indiana/Armstrong) is urging the governor to reconsider his current plans to spend federal stimulus funds to avoid growing the state budget deficit and forcing a significant tax increase in two years, when the stimulus funds run out. At a press conference this week, Rendell warned school districts to spend the one-time influx of funds carefully because they will not exist two years from now. Republican lawmakers have been trying to get that same point across to Rendell since he unveiled a nearly $29 billion budget plan in February that actually increases spending despite an anticipated $2.3 billion deficit by the end of this fiscal year and a forecast for stagnant revenues in the next fiscal year. Increasing spending will only make the deficit worse, Smith said.

GOP Says Administration's Push for Graduation Exams Misguided

House Republicans remain adamantly opposed to the Rendell Administration's pursuit of new graduation competency exams, estimated to cost $45 million over the next couple years. Even though the Pennsylvania School Boards Association announced its support for a revised plan this week, GOP lawmakers insist that now is not the time to institute new programs, when the state faces a $2 billion-plus budget deficit. Lawmakers also would like to know how the tests will improve public education, but the administration has yet to give an honest, straightforward answer. Rep. Stan Saylor (R-York) and Sen. Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) will introduce legislation to prevent the tests from being implemented unless the Legislature expressly authorizes them.